Mass Effect 2...Little Late.

[Kahunaburger]

I like a lot of the humans, particularly Zaeed and Kasumi. I think that Jacob's issues are more a function of Bioware being unable to write "normal" people vs. any actual boring-ness of his character. Miranda I think was pretty underdeveloped, but I don't mind her.

The romance subplots on the other hand, well... http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/the-priiize

I would advise steering clear of basically any of the ME2 romances unless you want unintentional hilarity.

 

[Zen Toombs]

Ashley: Great character, I absolutely adore her. She is quite the action girl, and loves poetry! Also, while she generally distrusts aliens, she has legitimate reasons for doing so (I don't agree, but she makes some points) and she can set aside her differences with relative ease.

Jack: I actually kindof liked Jack. She was absolutely nuts and is in need of severe help, but she has been through the worst life can throw at a person and she still keeps on trucking.
She also reminds me of a psycho-ex of mine. Especially how she gets romantically "locked-in" if you're at all nice, and won't let go like a rabid dog.

Jacob: I actually really like him. He's pretty stable, and a generally a nice guy1 that I would probably want to be friends with. Not best friends (except if we bonded due to there being no other Cerberus members that I would be comfortable talking to), but decent friends.

Kaiden: On my MaleShep playthrough, I despised him. I saw him as whining and closed off. Also at that point I didn't empathize with his migraines or his bad situation. However, on my FemShep playthrough, I actually got to know him better and better understood his situation (both because he was more open, and I had started to get bad migraines. Curse you genetics!). After that point, I thought he was a nice, thoughtful guy. Also kindof sweet.

Kasumi: The instant I downloaded the Katsumi DLC and picked her up at the Citadel, I loved her to pieces. So much sass, so much wit, so much allure! Also, she has a "Gift for you!" *flashbang*. Mind you, unlike some friends of mine I'm not one who would have been interested in a relationship with her. She just seems like a really fun friend. I feel that she'd be a bit enthusiastic with a knife though.... Dunno why.

Miranda: I actually really like Miranda. Not romantically -in opposition of most of my gender- but she's a decent person if somewhat misguided. Also, her "I'm perfection" speeches didn't really bother me, she just seemed to be stating facts (which considering her GATACA baby status, is true). She also seemed to have just a hint of insecurity hiding behind her bravado.
Bravado she backed up with bullets.
And Biotics.
And explosions.

Zaeed: He is an action hero, a grizzled veteran of the same character archetype as Wrex.2 I love his stories, especially the one where he cautions against smoking.3 He seems more than a bit psychotic though, and he's one of the two people I wouldn't recruit/keep on the team in Mass Effect 2 if I was actually Commander Shepherd. He is far to great of a risk, by my reckoning. By the by, Jack would be the second I would leave behind.


1: For all the ways he can kill people...
2: But nowhere near as awesome, of course.
3: Tends to result in explosions.

 

[Deathmageddon]

Mass Effect 2 sucked. Way too streamlined compared to the original.

 

[PureIrony]

I didn't HATE any of the characters. I honestly can't understand hating any of the characters in Mass Effect.

Sure, some of them are bit lacking in depth or not particularly likable, like Zaeed, but there was never really a point where they did anything to earn my ire. For instance, Miranda wasn't very likable in the beginning, but I honestly don't see how someone could go through all her dialogue sessions and missions and just see her as "workaholic domineering *****.

As for Jack...her character is interesting. Her dialogue sessions are interesting. She's admittedly cliched, but well-executed and understandable. I don't understand how you can understand a character and hate them.

 

[DrgoFx]

Did you play Mass Effect 1 and if so, who did you end up with? I ask because...

*spoiler*

...It seems heavily implied that if you were with Liara in ME1 you can get back together with her in ME3. You just have to put off romantic entanglements in 2 (or pony up for Shadowbroker). Otherwise, I thought Jacob was cool for a human but not for a romantic partner. One of my playthroughs I ended up with Tali but for the most part I stayed true to Liara.

Sorry to reply so late. Um, I finished ME1 and I didn't pick anyone, actually. At the time of my playthrough, the romance options were already announced and I was getting really attached to Tali. She actually reminds me a lot of my girlfriend. Strong, intelligent, loves machines, innocent at times, curious and seeking for something to fulfill her purpose. Yes, Tali is my favorite of the female characters.

As for Male, as far as I am in the game RIGHT NOW, I would say it's a tie between Joker, Jacob and Garrus...Garrus is a bit more of a badass than Jacob is, but Jacob is a hard thinker, he really analyzes his choices and in many situations, that's a good thing. Joker is just funny.

If anyone is curious, I stopped playing a while ago when my 360 froze on Horizon. I also think I might have successfully made an attractive Shepard without using the default. Maybe...He's definitely better than my ME1 version. However, I'm surprised people recognize him before he speaks. He looks very different. I also find it funny how he always says "I'm Commander Shepard and this is my favorite store." Like in three different stores. All for a discount.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I actually like Jacob a bit. He's the only "normal" person on board the ship. His loyalty isn't some contrived revenge plot or maniac plan to destroy a facility, he's finding out the truth of what happened to his father. Of course, his abilities are useless, but he's still the most relatable character for me.

I agree. I don't understand why people hate him so much. He acts exactly how a soldier would act. Non-emotional, highly ethical and boring to hang around with unless you're a soldier like him.

But b y far the most interesting human character is Jack. Sure she's a walking cliche, but she's also awesome. Human characters can't hold a candle to alien characters though. I think we can all agree on that.

 

[Xaositect]

I dont think squadmates have so far been Mass Effects strongpoint. Maybe many whove received furry fanservice from Bioware would violently protest otherwise, but Bioware has so far been far too lazy in giving characters chance to interact with the player and other squadmates.

ME1 was a little lax in this regard, but it was at least tolerable. ME2 is awful for it.

Considering that, it puts the human squadmates at a disadvantage.

I liked Ash and Kaidan. Ash had her own views even if they were stupid in the extreme, but they were still ones I could disagree with. Kaidan was level headed, and had the same view of aliens as my own Shepard. All in all though, its hard to compete with the aliens - theyre often too mundane.

Miranda.... I didnt like her much. She may soften up later, but shes (like nearly every other ME2 character with a romance) a character that relies on romance to talk to her. Plus I wasnt exactly wowed by her plotline anyway. People gush about her meeting with her sister, but I wasnt that impressed.

Jacob... is a nice enough guy, aside from his dumbass "at least this genocidal terrorist group is DOING something" logic. Hated his loyalty mission in the extreme. I didnt find an exploration of the dark side of humans or somesuch, just an annoying mission with annoying character. Oh, and plenty of continuity disrupting dumbass mech shooting.

Most of the squad in ME2 was lacking IMO, but yeah, with the mundane aspect of the human characters (particularly as they are always forced on you first), its that much more pronounced.

Hopefully they do better in ME3 with both human AND alien characters. And the simplest way to do that is just make them talk more, to Shepard and others. I mean it is worrying when the location based comments you could coax out of squaddies pretty much anywhere in ME1 is one of the high points of party interjection/interaction.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

I like a lot of the humans, particularly Zaeed and Kasumi. I think that Jacob's issues are more a function of Bioware being unable to write "normal" people vs. any actual boring-ness of his character. Miranda I think was pretty underdeveloped, but I don't mind her.

The romance subplots on the other hand, well... http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/the-priiize

I would advise steering clear of basically any of the ME2 romances unless you want unintentional hilarity.

Or creepiness as it feels like Shepard is manipulating someone for sex.
OP: I have hated all the humans with a connection to a military (Ashley, Kaidan, Jacob, Miranda). The other humans I liked (Jack, Kasumi, Zaeed). And this is why I have little hope for Vega.

 

[Mr.Squishy]

I like pretty much all the crew members, except for Jack. How I loathe Jack. Why weren't we given the option to space the whiny, psychotic ultra-powerful biotic ***** convicted crimminal?

 

[Joccaren]

Human Crew Members:
- Ashley. Preferred love interest in ME1. Character with flaws, and relatable to me (Not for military reasons, never had anyone be in the military except that one guy at school). Xenophobic, but has a reason to be, and not racist - despite what many say. Whilst she does not like the aliens, she does not feel that they are useless and humanity would be better off without them. In fact, she hates racists, as shown in her dialogue with the Terra Firma representative. Strong willed, but a rather soft centre and like of poetry (Everything after comma is what I find relatable). Not so bland as too be dull, but not over-exaggerated either. A really good character
- Kaiden. Never kept him, but seems likable enough. Rather dull, with little emotion behind a lot of his dialogue, but it actually hurt to leave him on Virmire. Respect his troubles with his implants, and his views on that sort of thing and how it affected him and his growing up. Since never kept after Virmire, and never played femshep to romance him, I feel like I am missing out on some of his more interesting side.
-Jack. Dislike a bit. Whilst there is a reason behind what she does, and she is a break from attitudes of most of the crew (We got a job to do sort of attitudes), I just don't like her. By this same point, it makes me like her. I find her character a little over exaggerated, and her ideals for the most part go completely against my own, but she isn't irredeemably bad.
-Miranda. Like. Made for great things, but wants to be normal. Something I have always liked in people, but is quite cliché. Story with her sister is nice, and her loyalty to those she loves despite her internal struggle with herself is relatable to myself too. T&A shots every 3 seconds ruined it for me. Sure, show it off sometimes to emphasise 'She was made to be perfect in every way', but in almost every dialogue with her? It gets stale fast.
-Jacob. Dislike a bit. He is nice to talk to for a down to Earth sort of chat, and I like him being upfront and honest about everything, but he often comes across as incredibly bland, and in some of his dialogue there is no emotion at all (Only one or two lines that might not even happen in my experience though, including the 'Commander, the drive core just lit up like a Christmas tree'. Nothing there at all. Sounds like he might as well be saying 'Commander, I just took a dump in the toiler'). Nothing to dislike about him, but also nothing to like. He was very good in his loyalty mission though.
-Zaeed. Neutral. I respect him and what he's been through, but I disagree with his methods and morals (Or lack thereof). Very little is done with him outside of his loyalty mission though, so I don't have a lot to say.
-Kasumi. Like. A fun character. Intelligent, witty at times, always having fun and being optimistic - no matter what is going on, yet has a serious side when it comes to her lost love. Not a lot to say other than that, as little is done outside of loyalty mission.
Would do TIM, Hacket, Kohaku, Anderson and Uldina, but I don't have the time. Hell, if I had enough time I'd probably do the even more side NPCs like that girl at the bar.

 

[JohnDoey]

To sum up my feelings on Miranda I intentionally killed her in the suicide mission, I like pretty much all the other characters except for Samara who seemed to be a personality void.

 

[Smertnik]

I didn't care much for Ashley but Kaidan I found absolutely boring. Left him to die without a second thought.

Miranda I didn't like at all at first but she grew on me later on, especially after the loyalty mission.
Jacob, on the other hand.. well, he was kinda like Kaidan, except there was far too much flirting going in conversations with him. If in ME3 there'll be an event similar to the one on Virmire I know who I let to bite the bullet.

Jack is awesome, though. I love both her looks and her nature. My perfect teammate.

The DLC characters are alright, can't say I like them that much, though.

 

[Beryl77]

I never liked Ashley. I dislike pretty much everything about her, so she didn't get past the first game, thank you Virmire.
Kaiden isn't the best character either but at least he doesn't annoy me with nearly every single thing he says, unlike Ashley.
Miranda is even worse, I can't stand her at all. Even after the loyalty I didn't like her. Too bad I didn't manage to let her die on the last mission. She just seems like a character made to appeal to all the new fans that Bioware was trying to get with Mass Effect 2.
Now, I never had a problem with Jacob but like many have said, he's rather bit dull but at least I don't want to throw him out of the ship into a sun.

 

[krazykidd]

I let ashley die , i hated the ***** . Plus she killed my wrex ,***** had it coming . Kaidan was boring as hell. I played as a female shepard so i ended up doing jacob. Plus jacob is black so he gets bonus points ( dem abs bro , wish i had abs like that ). Jack was awsome because she was batshit crazy , wouldn't have known she was a woman if they didn't tell me . Anyways ain't nobody got jack on jack.

OH And miranda , i HATED miranda , smug spoiled overachiever , i hate those kinda people in real life , i had NO sympathy for her.

dont YOU give the order to take down wrex? I mean obviously if you dont have the points to talk him down mabye...but..yeah

No , what happened was , wrex was losing it , ashley told me i shouls take him down, i refused and when to talk to him , while i was talking to wrex , asheley just poped up and shot him from afar. I seriously didn't expect it and was like wtf. I was so pissed that when i had the option to leave asheley behind i did it In a heartbeat .

 

[JesterRaiin]

The basic thing I'm bringing to discussion is of the human Mass Effect squad members in both games. What is everyone's opinion of them? Do you like them? Hate them? I'm not bringing the aliens into perspective because I feel they're talked about enough, no matter who you are you like the aliens a tad bit.

Naaaaaaaaaaaaah. They're ok. A little stiff and two dimensional, but they are ok. Pretty much whole The SHEP's crew are characters tormented by past and all they really need is a little attention, love, occasional high five or hug to become amiable and likable, full grown Pokemons.

Without spoilering too much, Miranda is a product of gene engineering and as such, she is destined to perceive humanity as inferior, and therefore become distanced, cold, professional. We're talking about http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwisatz_haderach case here i guess.

Jacob ? Half psychic, half ni... i mean, half bad boy from even badder 'hood that made it to the top by doing his job with 110% efficiency. He reminds me of Foreman from "House MD" tv series. Of course, it's a joke, i don't remember Jacob's past, but it's obvious he have his issues from the past.

They both suffer from "The SHEP's follower" syndrome - they are underdeveloped, because by polishing them a little they would be almost as interesting as protagonist, and that's unacceptable to overshadow The SHEP, a god beyond mere men, walking legend, pinnacle of manliness and so on, and so on, right ?

 

[Varanfan9]

I never used human squad mates in Mass Effect. I always had Garrus and either Tali or Grunt. I mean if you were in this vast universe filled with many different species would you want to hang out with your own race?

 

[Feylynn]

I didn't get to know Kaiden or Ashley very well because I didn't really care about either of them. Ended up choosing Kaiden for the mission because I trusted his ability to get shit done more being that I talked to him slightly more.

Ignored Ashley for the rest of the game and hated her in the appearance in ME2.

Jacob was so bland that I didn't even really care to talk to him, he was right across the hall from Mordin, that's totally fair to the poor normal guy. So overshadowed.
But yeah, I made a couple attempts to talk to him and then he came onto FemShep and I was like... No... Not really.
(Achievement Unlocked: Faithful to Liara)

Miranda was just annoying, but because I didn't like her, I'll vote that I did like her. She didn't fade into the background and that's worth something. Seemed a bit more really then others. Also liked (hated) that she had this grudge with Jack.

Jack was pretty cool, a bit crazy, throws shock waves, hired her on for my biotic needs because
Bio,Bio,Tech is how a well rounded party works in this game.
Also, clothes are overrated.
"My rules, means no rules, means no pants?"
I don't think BioWare is going to make that happen.

 

[LiquidGrape]

Overall, they're quite good. Jack alone is the single finest written character in the series, I would say; a subversion of normative femininity and one of games' few genuine explorations of mature emotional discord rolled into one.
- Oh, but don't think you can 'fix' her. That smacks of white knight presumption. The notion of her having to be 'corrected' by some external source most of all.

Miranda is an assertive and sexually confident female character, which has produced no small amount of '*****' calling and slut shaming from the people who can't handle that sort of thing.
She's not exactly likeable, initially, but there's a lot to grow to like.
Jacob is a slightly narrow-minded gun for hire with a heart of gold. And sadly a terrible romantic climax which sullies the integrity of the character somewhat.
Ashley is (was?) the textbook professional soldier with unreasonable demands on herself. Also, she's not racist. For starters it couldn't be racism because humanity is in no position to inflict oppression. Secondly, I wish people would stop confusing her suspicion for something quite so severe.
That leaves Kaidan, and Kaidan is simply put the most profound bore and source of annoyance the series has managed to produce.
- Joker being a close second.

 

[DrgoFx]

Ok so I've had time to go over ME2 characters a bit more in my game, Jacob I talk to after every mission, I like talking to him. I talk to all the characters, but Jacob's first. Then Modin since I kept him in my squad until Tali showed up. Then I do what Kelly has for me, talk to the rest of my squad mates, have conversation with the same sex, piss off Miranda, be insanely nice to Tali, talk to Joker to get a laugh and then go off to do the next mission, or whatever I have planned.

As someone said earlier, Jacob feels bland to most people because they can't really relate to him. I relate to him perfectly, hence why I like him so much. Would my female Shepard romance with him? No, I don't think so. But he isn't as bland as people put him out to be, he's just your average military personnel and to many people that's boring, unless you know the character. Jacob just feels real to me in a sense.